Fire-lighter.



HQE. GRIFFIN,

FIRE LIGHTER.

APPL|cAT|oN-HLED SEPT. 25, 1914.

1,153g065- Patentedsept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Inventor) l f a Attorneys.

H. E. GRIFFIN.

FIRE LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. |914.

1,153,065. Pandsept. 7,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor ,ly by y///i// l 'vl/a Attorneys.

Witnesses HERBERT E. GRIFFIN, OF MOUNT HOREB, WISCONSIN.

FIRE-LIGHTER.

Specification of Lettersatent.

Application filed September 25, 1914. Serial No. 863,542.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERTE. GniFrIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Horeb, in the county of Dane and State of Wlisconsin, have invented a new and useful Fire-Lighter, of which the fol-v lowing is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be employed for igniting automatically, at a predetermined time, a quantity of combustible material placed adjacent the 'grate of a boiler, stove or the like, the construction being such that a fire may be lighted without attention other than that involved'in placing in a set condition, a mechanism whereby a lamp is advanced toward the combustible material.

The invention aims to provide novel means for advancing and retracting the lamp.

Another object of the invention is tofprovide novel means for manipulating the hood of the lamp.

It is within the province of the invention to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

vWith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description pro# ceeds, the invention resides Ain the vcombination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood 'that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made with-4 in the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1n the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows the invention in side elevation, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a top plan; Fig. 3 isa vertical section of the motor; Fig. 4 is a cross section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

1n carrying out the present inventionthere is provided a frame embodying a base,a post 2 upstanding from the base, a tubular arm 3 projecting from the post, a supporting arm 4 projecting vfrom the post in a direction opposite to the arm 3, a standard 5 on the arm 4, a frame 6 mounted on the standard, Aand a casing 8 of tubular form, carried by the forward end of the tubular arm 3, the casing 8 being cut away as shown at 9 upon its forward face to permit the advancement and retraction of the lamp 42 which hereinafter will be described in detail. Journaled in Patented Sept. 1915. i

the frame 6 which preferably is a U-shaped structure, is a grooved wheel 7.

Brackets 10 are supported by the arm 4, the brackets upholding a motor of any desired construction. The motor may be variously formed, but in the present instance a'simple type of spring actuated motor is disclosed. The motor includes plates 11 one of which is upheld by the lbrackets 10, the plates 11 being united by tie bars 14. Journaled in the plates 11 (like a plurality of other shafts to be described hereinafter) is a main shaft 12. A spring 15 is secured at one end to the main shaft 12 and the other end of the spring 15 is attached to one of the tie bars 14, as is common in vclock move ments. Journaled on the shaft 12 is a gear wheel 16, operatively connected with the shaft 12 by means of a pawl and ratchet mechanism 17. The gear wheel 1 6 meshes into a pinion 18 on a shaft 19 having a gear wheel 20 meshing into a pinion 21 on a shaft 22 having a gear wheel 23 meshing into a pinion 24 on a shaft 25 having a gear wheel 26 meshing into a pinion 27 carried by a shaft28, the latter being equipped with a transverse vane or Ablade 29.

The vane 29 is adapted to `be engaged by a brake which may embody a finger 30 projecting from a shaft 31 having an arm 32 to which is connected a iiexible element 33 united with the alarm arbor 34 of an alarm clock 35. Secured to the main shaft 12 is a pulley 36. One end of a flexible element 38 is attached to the pulley 36. The main shaft one end of a slide 41 mounted to reciprocate in the tubular arm 3'. Attached tol the forward end of the `aforesaid slide 41 is a lamp 42, normally housed in the casing 8. The tubular element 41 may constitute a portion of a reservoir of the lamp 42. The eye 40 is received slidably in a restricted slot 56 formed in the upper portion of the tubular arm 3. The eye 40 at once constitutes a means whereby the lamp is advanced and retracted by. means of the rod 39, and a means whereby the slide 41 is prevented from rotating in the tubular arm 3, it being obvious that as a result of the feature last above mentioned, the lamp 42 stands upright during its advancement and retraction. The f burner of the lamp is indicated at 43.

Resting at times upon the lamp 2 and adapted to house the burner 43 is a tubular hood 44. The hood 44 adjacent its lower end is provided with air inlet openings 45 and the upper end of the hood preferably is open as shown at 46. A means is provided for lifting the hood 44 off' the burner 43 so soon as the advancing movement of the lamp 42 is begun. With this end in view, a flexible element 47 which may be a light chain is secured at its lower end to the upper portion of the hood 44, the upper end of the flexible element 47 being united with the forward end of a lever 48 fulcrumed in termediate its ends as shown at 49 on an arm 50 projecting rearwardly from the casing 8. To the rear of its fulcrum 49, the lever 48 carries a weight 51 and the rear end of the lever 48 rests upon the upper end of a latch 52 fulcrumed intermediate its ends as shown at 53 on a standard 54 which, when viewed in elevation is of L-shape, the standard 54 when viewed in top plan being of Uform and embracing upright arms 55 connected with the upper end of the post 2. The arms 55 act as guides for the rod 39.

1n Fig. 1 of the drawings, the device is shown in set condition. Under such circumstances, the spring 15 of the motor is under tension, `but the shaft 12 is prevented from rotating because the finger 30 on vthe shaft 31 is engaged with the vane 29. The pressure of the vane 29 against the finger 30 is suflicient to prevent the arm 32 from dropping. The flexible element 38 is extended forwardly, is trained around the grooved wheel 7 and is extended rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, the rod 39 resting upon the upper portion of the tread of thev wheel 7. The slide 41 and consequently. the lamp 42 are retracted, the eye 40 being at the rear end of the slot 56. rlhe lower end of the latch 52 is lodged in the slot 56 in front of the eye 40 and the rear end of the lever 48 is supported upon the upper end of the latch, the hood 44 being in a lowered condition about the burner 43, the burner being lighted.

The alarm clock 35 is set to operate at a predetermined time, and when this time has arrived, the arbor 34 will be rotated, rocking the shaft 31 through the instrumentality of the flexible element 33 and the arm 32, the finger 30 being retracted out of the way of the vane 29. Thereupon the spring 15 will actuate the main shaft `12. At this point it may be stated that the several shafts, gear wheels and pinions which are interposed between the initial shaft 12 and the final shaft 28 act as a reducing or retarding train, preventing a too rapid rotation of the shaft 12 and likewise preventing too strong an engagement between the vane 29 and the finger 30, a comparatively light engagement between the vane and the finger being desirable, in order that the mechanism may be set off readily by the action of the ala-rm clock 35.

When the main shaft 12 is rotated by the action of the spring 15 in the manner hereinbefore described, the flexible element 38 in its lower portion, referring to Fig. 1, is drawn rearwardly and the upper portion of the flexible element is advanced, along with the rod 39, the latter riding forwardly on the grooved wheel 7. So soon as the rod 39 moves forwardly, the slide 41 and the lamp 42 are advanced, the lamp moving out of `the casing 8 and assuming the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. By this operation, the lamp is disposed beneath the combustible material which is to be lighted. Then the slide 41 moves forwardly, the eye 40 engages the lower end of the latch 52 and tilts the same on its fulcrum 53, the upper end of the latch being withdrawn from beneath the rear end of the lever 48. Under the action of the weight 51, the forward end of the lever 48 will be elevated, withdrawing the hood 44 from the burner 43 at the time that the forward movement of the slide 41 and the lamp 42 begins. .Vhen the lower portion of the flexible element 38 has been retracted to a sufficient extent, the rear end of the rod 39 will ride off the forward portion of the periphery of the wheel 7. lVhen this operation takes place, the lamp 42 is in the extreme advanced position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The arms 55 of the standard 54 act as guides for the rod 39 during the dropping movement of the rear end thereof. After the rear end of the rod 39 has dropped off the wheel 7, the flexible element will exert a straight line rearward movement on the rod 39 and the slide 41, the rod 39 passing rearwardly beneath the wheel 7 and between the side arms of the U -shaped frame 6. This operation will retract the slide 41 and the lamp 42 until these elements stand as shown in Fig. 1. The latch 52 is fulcrumed somewhat loosely on the element 53, so that the latch may not only swing in a vertical plane parallel to the axis of the arm 3 but, as well, have a limited movement transversely of the arm 3.

When the eye 40 moves toward the casing 8, the lower end of the latch 52 is swung upwardly and toward the casing 8 by the action of the eye. Thus, the lower end of the latch 52 is raised out of the slot 56 in the arm 3, and the eye 40 continues to move to- CFI ward the casing 8 until the eye lies between the casing and the lower end of the latch 52. Then the eye 40 moves away from the casing 8. Note that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the eye 40 lies to the rear of the lower end of the latch 52; but it has been stated above that at the time that the eye 40 starts to move away fronrthe casing 8, the eye lies between the lower end of the latch 52 and the casing. Therefore, some means should be provided whereby the lower end of the latch 52 may be moved out of the way of the eye 40 when the latter is moving away from the casing 8, and especially, whereby the latch 52 may be moved out of the wayv of the rod 39 when the latter is moved away from the casing 8, since the rod 39 lies in the same vertical plane with the latch 52. In order to carry out the above mentioned operation, the latch 52 may be weighted at one side, as indicated at W, so that the latch is slightly unsymmetrical with respect to a vertical plane at right angles to the fulcrum pin 53. Therefore, when the lower end of the latch 52 has been swung by the eye 40 toward the casing 8 and has been elevated so that it no longer lies in the slot 56, the latch will swing laterally and will ultimately come to rest against the outer side face of the arm 3 and out of the path of the eye 40. The eye 40 and the rod 39 may then move away from the casing 8 without striking the lower end of the latch 52, and when it is desired to dispose the latch in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the latch is placed manually in the slot 56.

From the foregoing it will be seen that at a predetermined time and by the action of the alarm clock 35, the lamp 42 will be advanced out of the casing 8 beneath a mass of combustible material, and subsequently be withdrawn therefrom.

In order to place the mechanism in the set condition shown in Fig. 1, the shaft 12 is rotated by means of the key 37. This operation puts the spring 15 under tension, and owing to the presence of the pawl and ratchet mechanism 17 the entire gear train extending between the shaft 12 and the shaft 28 is not rotated. When the shaft 12 is rotated as above described, the pulley 36 will be rotated also, and the flexible element 38 will be paid out. The rod 89 is pushed forwardly, its rear end is elevated, and subsequently the rod 39 is lodged on top of the wheel 7 as shown in Fig. 1. The brake mechanism involving the finger 30 and associated parts is brought into engagement ,with the vane 29 and thus the spring driven motor is held against operation. rIhe lower end of the latch 52 is lodged in the slot 56 of the arm 3 as shown in Fig. 1 and the rear end of the lever 48 is engaged with the upper end of the latch 52. By the operation above described, the parts v'will have been disposed in the set condition shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

rlhe form of the lamp 42 may be altered without jeopardizing the utility of the invention and the term lamp is used in claiming the invention as indicating any mechanism which is adapted to ignite combustible material when the slide 41 is advanced.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l 1. In a device of the class described, a frame; a lamp mounted to move thereon; a motor operatively connected with the lamp to advance and retract the lamp; a brake coperating with the motor; and a releasing means operatively connected with the brake.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame; a lamp mounted to move thereon; a motor operatively connected with the lamp to advance and retract the same; a'brake in coperative relation to the motor; a releasing means operatively connected with the brake; a hood for the lamp; and means op erable by the movement of the lamp to retract the hood when the lamp is advanced.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame; a lamp mounted to move thereon; a support upheld by the frame; a rod pivoted to the lamp and upheld intermediate its ends by the support; a flexible element trained about the support and connected with the rod upon the opposite side of the support from the lamp; and mechanism for actuating the flexible element.

4. In a device of the class described, a frame; a lamp mounted to move thereon; mechanism operatively connected with the lamp to advance and retract the same; a hood for the lamp; and means operable by the movement of the lamp to retract the hood when the lamp is advanced.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame; a lamp mounted to move thereon; mechanism for advancing and retracting the lamp; a hood for the lamp; a lever fulcrumed on the frame and operatively connected with the hood; and a latch fulcruined on the frame and engaged with the lever, a portion of the latch lying in the path of a portion of the lamp, thereby to effect a disengagement of the latch from the lever when the lamp is moved.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame; a lamp mounted to move thereon; an actuating element; means for moving the actuating element continuously in one direction; and means interposed between the actuating element and the lamp for imparting a reciprocating movement to the lamp while the actuating element is moving continuously in said direction.

7. In a device of the class described, a

frame; a lamp mounted to reciprocate thereon; a support upheld by the frame; a rod pivoted to the lamp and sustained intermediate its ends by the support; a flexible element trained about the support and connected With the rod upon the opposite side of the support from the lamp; means for actuating the flexible element; a hood for the lamp; means for operating the hood; a latch ooacting with said means and With a 10 portion of the lamp; and a two-part standard on the frame, the standard constituting at once a guide for the rod and a fulcruni support for the latch.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ailixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HERBERT E. GRIFFIN.

Witnesses:

O. B. PIGKARD,

GEO. SWIGGUM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the (Jommissionei` of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

